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Climate Action Week

(CO2 image by Matthias Heyde on Unsplash)

UBC Goals

Taking Action

Here are some actions you can take to reduce air travel:

Use the Air Travel Decision tree to make decisions about work-related air travel

  • Is remote participation an option?
  • Can you meet your goals with remote attendance?
  • Is it important to attend in person?

Look for local conferences

  • Promote and prioritize attendance in local or regional events that do not require air travel.

Travel over ground

  • If feasible, take a train or bus. Even a car is better than a plane.
  • Advocate with your workplace for allowing extra time for slow travel.

Support systemic change

  • If you're hosting a work event, provide an equal opportunity to attend or present virtually.
  • Advocate with professional organizations.

Bundle essential travel

  • If air travel is essential, schedule other relevant meetings to make the most of the flight.
  • Fly direct, economy class only.

sources: Air Travel Decision Tree, UBC Sustainability, and SOS: what you can do to reduce climate change

Core Resources

Arguably not a core resource(!), but images of the 5 hour long fire in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the Pemex gas pipeline leak in 2021 inspired an abundance of memes, including this meme critiquing offsets. For a more research-based analysis, join UBC's Arshia Uppal, Gavin Esdale, Elizabeth Stevenson, and Mathew Vis-Dunbar for a discussion of air travel emissions, offsets, and sustainable travel, "The Tree & the Trees: Climate Justice & Air Travel Culture Change at UBC" on Monday Sept 26 at 3:30pm.

Meme showing the Pemex gas pipeline leak in the Gulf of Mexico with the massive fire labelled "The Climate Crisis" and a small ship spraying water beside but not onto the fire labelled "Carbon offsets".